


Everything Happens for a Reason (part 1)

by endless_eight



Series: The NEW Adventures of Sinbad Fan-Fiction Season 2 [15]
Category: The Adventures of Sinbad (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-07-01
Updated: 2003-07-01
Packaged: 2019-03-15 23:31:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13623783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/endless_eight/pseuds/endless_eight
Summary: By Merlin and CalvinPart one of the finale. Sinbad and the crew must find a way to overcome their new obstacles in order to defeat their enemies.





	Everything Happens for a Reason (part 1)

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Merlin and Calvin, the archivists: this story was originally archived at [The New Adventures of Sinbad Fan Fiction Season 2](https://fanlore.org/wiki/The_New_Adventures_of_Sinbad_Fan_Fiction_Season_2) and was moved to the AO3 as part of the Open Doors project in 2018. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are the creator and would like to claim this work, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The New Adventures of Sinbad Fan Fiction Season 2’s collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thenewadventuresofsinbad/profile).

* * *

**EPISODE 15 - EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON (1)**  
  
WRITTEN BY - MERLIN, CALVIN 

* * *

**TEASER**

The final adventure of Sinbad's crew draws near...

_"Time is short.  Just know that you have the power to stop it, if you so choose."_

Rumina, Scratch, and Turok are gaining more power...

_"The world will be in your delicate hands in a short while, ready for you to mold."_

And the crew only has so much time before the end...

_"This isn't the time for this."  she said as she tucked some unruly strands of hair behind her ear._

They have so much to lose...

_"What happened?" Sinbad demanded._

But so much to gain...

_"What good will I be to the world if I give up the chance to stop the ultimate evil, or 'The Unholy Trinity'?"_

Will they be able to band together to confront their enemies?

_"Ah!  Help, I can't go any further!" he called._

Find out in part one of the exciting finale of the The NEW Adventures of Sinbad coming up next...

* * *

"Are you going to wear the spots off those, Firouz?"  Doubar muttered to the inventor, who was slowly shuffling the worn cards between his hands.

Firouz sighed and looked up at Doubar, "No, I'm just making sure that they are thoroughly mixed up.  I don't believe that I fairly lost the last three games out."

"Are you saying that I cheated?"  Doubar grumbled as he raised from his seat.  "I never cheat.  If you lost it's because you-"

"I think that's enough guys," Sinbad interrupted.  "It's bad enough that these winds have thrown us completely off course.  I don't think we need to get in a fight over a simple game of cards."

Doubar settled down and Sinbad sighed with relief.  The day had been a long one, what with the terrible winds blowing the Nomad off course.  Sinbad knew he only had a week to get to Baghdad or their goods would be worth nothing to the Caliph.  The young captain settled down into a chair and tried to concentrate on the game of cards that Firouz, Doubar, and Rongar had begun again.  Sinbad wondered how they could even see their hand, because it was almost completely dark in the galley.  In fact, the only light was coming from the crack under Maeve's wooden cabin door.  Sinbad looked to Mustapha, who was gnawing on some stale sea rations.

"What's she doing in there?"  he asked his friend as he gestured towards the sorceress's cabin.

Mustapha shrugged for his answer and went back to trying to eat the old food.  "Sinbad, how long is it again until we can restock our supplies?"  he asked with a shake of his head.  "This stuff is terrible."

Sinbad nodded his agreement and looked towards Maeve's cabin again.  She had been in there most of the day and he had  thought he heard her speaking to someone as he passed by the room earlier, but Dermott had been topside all day.  The captain was curious, but knew better than to pry into her business.  She would tell him when she was ready, he hoped.

~~~  
  
"What do you mean, Master Dim-Dim?"  Maeve asked as she stared into the greenish light that held the spirit of her beloved tutor.

Maeve remembered the last time she had managed to contact him, when he had told her of the Island of Mirhago , and Dinar, the master magician.  Luckily, this time she was stronger.  Not only because of the powers she received from the Starry Pearl, but because she was a much more accomplished sorceress than two years ago and could maintain the connection for longer.

"I mean the end of the world, complete destruction," he explained.  "The Unholy Trinity.  If they are not stopped soon, this will be the result."

"The Unholy Trinity?"  Maeve repeated slowly.  "You mean the combined forces of Rumina, Turok, and Scratch?"

"Yes my dear, but more than that."  he replied grimly.

"How is there more?"  the sorceress demanded.  "We barely survive our encounters when it is just the three of them!  Who is it?"

"Time is short," her master explained.  "Just know that you have the power to stop it, if you so choose.  The Book of Darkness and Light.  The sole purpose for the book was to house the spell capable of destroying this ultimate evil that will be unleashed on the world.  Yin has sealed it with a powerful magic that can only be broken by a pure heart with good intentions.  But I warn you, Maeve.  Do not try to break the seal before the spell is needed.  For the seal was put intact to prevent the spell from getting into the wrong hands.  If evil uses it, all the good in this world is doomed.  You are near the island where The Unholy Trinity is hiding.  But Maeve, my dear, you must know one more thing about this spell.  There is a warning on the seal, and you must know that-"

"Maeve?  What's going on in there?"  Mustapha interrupted as he knocked loudly on the door.

Suddenly Dim-Dim's essence disappeared from the room and all of Maeve's candles blew out as she lost the concentration to hold onto him.  She sighed heavily.  Mustapha had unknowingly caused her to lose her concentration, forcing her to break the connection with Dim-Dim.

"Nothing!  Just mind your own business!"  she snapped to him.

Maeve heard his light footsteps leave the door and she looked around her dark room and sighed.  It would take all night to try and get into contact with Dim-Dim again.  She opened her large book and flipped to the back.  She was confused, for she had never seen these pages before, even though she had read through almost the entire book since she received it from Yin.  She ran her hand over the ancient writing and felt the power surge beneath her hand.  Yin had formed a very strong seal indeed!  Maeve hoped that she could open it, but decided to heed her master's warnings and not attempt it until it was vital.  She knew that this book had the tendency to end up in the wrong hands no matter how hard she tried to keep it safe.  Maeve looked over the age-old warning that preceded the powerful spell.

"This spell is the essence of Darkness and Light, and will succeed no matter how hard the fight.  Keep out of the reach of evildoers no matter what the cost, or the price will be one that is dearly lost.  To be used only in time of great magical strife, but be warned practitioner, the price is your life," Maeve read slowly, letting the words sink in.  "My life?"

The sorceress closed The Book of Darkness and Light slowly and repeated the warning once more in her head.  'I have to sacrifice my life to succeed with this spell?' she wondered.  Maeve thought of her life on the ship, and her younger brother Dermott who was forever trapped in the body of a hawk.  'If I succeed in doing this spell, then Rumina will be destroyed and Dermott will be restored!' she thought quickly.  'My life's quest is to kill her, and if I use this spell my purpose in life will be fulfilled.'

Maeve stood up, grabbed her brown cloak and The Book of Darkness and Light, and opened her door slowly.  She looked around and saw that everyone had gone off to bed, except for Mustapha, who was sleeping at the table, wine casket in his hand.  Maeve rolled her eyes, wondering when the man would stop getting drunk every night.  She thought about Dim-Dim's message once again, _'You are near the island where The Unholy Trinity is hiding.'_

Maeve quickly formed a plan in her head.  She could take a longboat and head to the Island , it couldn't be too far off or else Dim-Dim wouldn't have mentioned it to her as being 'near'.  She could sneak onto the island, find Rumina, Turok, and Scratch's hideout, and use the spell on them.  Maeve couldn't tell Sinbad or Dermott because they would never let her go through with it, even if it was best for everyone.  There was another reason too, but one that she wouldn't let herself or her heart admit.

The sorceress held the book close to her chest and slowly snuck into the galley, careful not to wake Mustapha.  She made a quick stop in Firouz's cabin and grabbed some exploding sticks off of his desk.  She knew they might come in handy later on.

"Sorry," she whispered as she stuffed the sticks into the small bag hanging from her belt.  Maeve didn't like sneaking around like this and taking things without asking, but she knew it was for the best.

Maeve hurried quietly up the stairs to the upper deck of the Nomad.  She was welcomed by a cool breeze that ruffled her hair and cloak.  She took a deep breath and looked into the night over the sides of the ship.  To the west was a small island, she could see it from where she stood so it couldn't be too far.  Maeve hurried over to the side of the ship and let down one of the longboats.  She held her breath as it made a loud splash in the water.  Luckily, no one came topside to investigate.  Maeve climbed over the side and into the longboat.  She was extremely nervous because she had never been this sneaky or stolen anything from her friends, and she felt guilty but decided that once she had succeeded in her task her friends lives would be saved and they would hopefully forget about all of this.  Maeve didn't even want to know what Dim-Dim had meant by 'ultimate evil'.  What could be worse than the combined forces of The Unholy Trinity, as Dim-Dim had called them.

She let the ropes that connected the longboat to the ship free, feeling the same way about her ties to the crew.  They were going to hate her when they found her gone without word, she knew it.  As Maeve slowly paddled the boat towards the journey of the unknown, she thought about Sinbad and Dermott and hoped that they could take care of each other when she was gone.

~~~  
  
*Maeve!  Maeve!  Where are you going?* Dermott shouted to his sister through his mind.  *Please tell me sister, what are you doing?*

Dermott had been asleep and had just woken up and saw his sister rowing a longboat towards a nearby island.  She had blocked her thoughts from him and he couldn't get her to answer him.  Dermott suddenly flew below deck and to Sinbad's cabin, which was open a crack.  Dermott was about to wake the captain up, but Sinbad had already been woken by something else.

"My bracelet," Sinbad whispered as he looked at the intense glowing colors on his rainbow bracelet.  "What's going on?"

Dermott looked at the radiating piece of jewelry on the captain's wrist and landed on it to get the man's attention.  Sinbad was not only shocked at being woken up by the glowing bracelet, but also that Maeve's bird had just landed on his wrist.

"What is it Dermott?"  he asked the creature as he stroked his feathers.

*Maeve!  You must follow her!*  Dermott called in an attempt to get the captain to hear him.  He knew it would never happen, but he had to try.  Dermott knew that he was just coming off as a bunch of agitated chirps and squawks but didn't care.  He had to get Sinbad's attention.

Sinbad looked at the flustered hawk and rubbed his eyes.  "I must still be dreaming," he muttered as he laid back down on the bed.  "I didn't just hear Dermott talk to me."

Dermott became even more excited now.  *You heard me, Sinbad?*

The captain sat up in bed again and looked at the hawk.  "Dermott?"  he asked cautiously.

*Yes?*  the hawk replied.

"By the gods, I must be drunk!"  Sinbad exclaimed as he jumped out of bed, jerking his wrist back, causing Dermott to have to quickly fly up to keep from falling.

*Sinbad stop it!*  Dermott chided.  *If you really can hear me, get dressed and follow me, Maeve has left the ship!  You must find her, she won't listen to me!*

"This is really happening isn't it?  You're really talking to me.  Why now?"  he wondered aloud, a bit afraid but curious at the same time.

Dermott was just as confused as the captain, but felt there were more important matters at hand.  *It doesn't really matter, Captain.  Maybe it's Maeve or something.  But you MUST follow her!*

Sinbad grabbed his shirt and pulled it on.  "Where did she go?"  he asked, suddenly worried about his friend.

*I don't know, just come with me!  She's left the ship!*  Dermott exclaimed, thrilled that he was actually communicating with Sinbad.  What better time could this have come about?

Sinbad suddenly felt his blood run cold has he remembered the words of Death a few adventures back.  _"One more thing. I will come back very soon, to claim one of you..."_ Sinbad shook his head to erase the memory.  Death couldn't have meant Maeve.  He just couldn't have.

Dermott grabbed Sinbad's headband with his beak and dropped it in the captain's hand.  "Thanks," Sinbad said with a grin.  "I can't believe this is happening.  I'm really talking to you featherbrain."  He joked good-naturedly as he tied the red cloth around his forehead and grabbed his broadsword.

Dermott followed Sinbad into the galley.  Sinbad began to open Doubar's cabin door but Dermott suddenly yelled to him.  *What are you doing?  They'll only slow us down!  Come on and follow Maeve now!*

Sinbad closed the door and followed the bird updeck.  He looked around the ship and saw that the crew mate manning the tiller was just barely awake and shook his head angrily.  The point of having someone topside was not only to man the tiller, but to guard the ship and warn him of any strange goings-on's.  Sinbad let another longboat into the water and hopped in, in a similar fashion as Maeve had done earlier.  Dermott flew on ahead to try and catch up with Maeve while Sinbad let the oars touch the water.  He hoped he was doing the right thing, but the bracelet glowing on his wrist warned him this trip was going to be more than he had bargained for.

~~~  
  
"What a night," Doubar muttered as he wiped the sleep out of his eyes and entered the galley.

He saw Mustapha passed out at the table and rolled his eyes.  'Good thing Sinbad didn't see him yet.' Doubar thought to himself, knowing that Sinbad didn't like the crew members drinking alcohol when they were running low on supplies.  Suddenly, Doubar looked around the galley expectantly.  'Where is Sinbad?' he wondered.  His brother was usually one of the first ones up, and Doubar knew _he_ had slept a little late.  Doubar went updeck to look for Sinbad and began to get worried when he didn't see him amongst the minor crew mates.  He rushed below deck and felt himself go numb when he found his brother's room empty.

"Rongar!"  Doubar exclaimed when he saw the moor emerge from his cabin.  "Have you seen Sinbad?"

Rongar shook his head and motioned towards Maeve's cabin.  They both went and knocked on the door and were surprised to find no one in there either.  Rongar shrugged his shoulders and Doubar didn't know why, but he felt like he had to check on the longboats.  Rongar followed the large man updeck and Doubar's suspicions were confirmed when he saw that two of the Nomad's longboats were missing.

"Where could they have gone?"  Doubar wondered aloud.  He looked towards his friend and followed his gaze to the island that their friends had indeed ventured to.  "What's on that island?"  Doubar asked, not expecting an answer.

Rongar began to prepare the last remaining longboat to head inland.  Doubar gently pushed his friend away.  "I'll do it, you go wake Mustapaha and Firouz."

Rongar nodded and headed below deck.  Mustapha was passed out drunk and would be no help to anyone, so Rongar knocked softly on Firouz's door before opening it and entering.  Rongar spotted the inventor sleeping heavily on his bed.  The renderings of an invention were scattered on the bed and pieces of wood and Firouz's glue were on the floor.  Rongar knew his friend had probably had a late night and decided it best to just head out with Doubar.  The moor returned topside and shrugged to Doubar before the both of them got into the longboat.

"I asked the crew and they didn't see anything last night.  I told them we'd be back soon."  Doubar said as he handed an oar to Rongar.

Doubar purposely didn't mention anything about his brother or the sorceress.  He didn't want to get himself all worked up over something he was trying to believe was nothing.  Rongar looked towards the small island and shivered.  Something was not right here.  Sinbad and Maeve would never leave the ship without word.  He didn't have a good feeling about this at all.

~~~  
  
"The time is growing near, daughter," Turok said to Rumina, who was sitting slouched down, her arms across her chest, in a giant throne in the middle of an elegantly decorated, but dimly lit, hall.

"I don't see why I didn't have any say in this whatsoever!" Rumina spat, moreso at the goatman in the corner than at her beloved father.

"Now come on Rumina!  You and I, two great evils working together?  Somethin' magical could happen," he joked at her affectionately.

He walked out from behind the shadows towards the small, angry woman and tried to touch the fiery trinket around her neck.  She swatted his hand away and he grabbed her wrist.  "You'd better teach your daughter some manners before she gets herself in trouble" the devil spat to Turok, "Although that is what makes her so intriguing and irresistible!"  He glanced back at the red jewel, "That looks beautiful on you."

Rumina snatched her arm away from the repulsive demon and then tore the jewel that he himself had given her from around neck.  "I don't want anything to do with him!" she threw the jewel across the room and it landed hard on the floor, but did not break.

Turok looked down at the fiery jewel that landed near his feet.  "Rumina, my dear, it will not be much longer before you will have anything," he glanced at Scratch, "Or get rid of anything you desire.  The world will be in your delicate hands in a short while, ready for you to mold."

"Not if they have anything to say about it," Scratch said, pointing to an image on the wall of Maeve arriving on the shore.

Turok noticed the large book in her arms, "Ah, a clever little witch.  She must have contacted her precious 'Dim-Dim' and now thinks she can rid the world of us herself!"

Scratch cackled, "Not if I have anything to say about it!"  He conjured up some demons to send her way.

"What are you doing?" Rumina glanced at him bitterly, "You're not the only one here!  Shouldn't we work out what to do about her and then carry out our plans?"

"Oh, Rumina!" he cackled again, "I can't have her getting too close and harming you, or our plans, now can I?" he reached over and caressed her cheek.  She pushed his hand away once again.

"You disgust me you intolerable devil!" she spat at him with far more intensity than before.

"Oh, stop with the compliments already!" he laughed demonically.

~~~  
  
Firouz opened his cabin door slowly and groaned when the only one below deck was Mustapha.  Firouz was tired of fighting with the man.  Since they still couldn't seem to put their differences aside, he wished Mustapha would just leave him alone.  Although he was happy that Mustapha was back with the crew, he sometimes yearned for those adventures he had before the man returned.  The inventor sighed to himself and took a seat at the table.  He noted that the only other thing moving in the galley besides himself and Mustapha was the sunlight dancing off the walls from the open door leading to the upper deck.

"Where is everyone?"  Firouz asked his hung-over companion.

Mustapha groaned and opened his eyes slowly.  "Is it morning already?"

Firouz nodded and repeated his question.  "Where's the crew?"

Mustapha looked around the galley, holding a hand to the side of his aching head.  He didn't know why he drank so much, he always ended up this way in the morning.  "Aren't they all updeck?"

The inventor shook his head.  "They're usually down here at this time, Doubar at least."

A minor crew mate by the name of Hameed came down the stairs, headed towards the crew's quarters.  Firouz looked at him and asked, "Where's Sinbad?  And the rest of the crew?"

Hameed stopped and stood next to the wooden table.  "Doubar and Rongar headed out early this morning after Captain Sinbad who went after Maeve.  They took the longboats and headed inland.  Doubar said they'd be back soon."  Hameed turned and headed to the crew's cabin.

Firouz sighed heavily.  "This is all your fault," he accused Mustapha, his anger growing.  "If you weren't always getting drunk they would have included us on the trip."  His friends had never left him behind when it was just him on the crew.

Mustapha stood too quickly and had to grasp onto the side of the table to maintain his balance.  "How is my drinking affecting _your_ ability to go inland?  They could have woken you just as easily whether or not I was drunk."

Firouz snorted.  "It's because of the fights you always get us into that they would rather not be around either of us.  And not that I blame them for not bringing you.  After all, it wasn't me who betrayed them to save my own life."  Firouz snapped, purposefully reminding Mustapha of the time he stole The Book of Darkness and Light to give to Scratch in exchange for his life.

Mustapha stepped back, clearly hurt by the inventor's words.  "You weren't in the situation, Mr. Science.  I bet if you had been you would have actually given the book to Scratch!  I brought it back!  When will everyone trust me again?  I brought it back!"  Mustapha practically shouted the last words.  He didn't care.  He had been caught between a rock and a hard place when Scratch offered him the lose-lose deal and was desperate.  Mustapha wished the inventor would let it go like the rest of his friends seemed to have.

Firouz was glad, knowing his words had hurt Mustapha.  It was rare that he one-upped _the_ Mustapha, who was blessed with a quicker wit than himself.  "That's where you're wrong, Mustapha.  I wouldn't have even taken the book to begin with.  I wouldn't sacrifice my dignity for my life, like you almost did."

Mustapha shook his head and headed towards the door that led updeck .  Firouz followed the short man topside, feeling guilty that he may have gone too far this time.  He chided himself mentally, knowing Mustapha never felt bad about any of the things he picked on him for.  Mustapha shielded his eyes from the bright morning sun and headed towards the side of the ship.

"What are you doing?"  Firouz asked.

"What does it look like, genius?  If you're supposed to be so smart, figure it out yourself."  Mustapha spat as he looked around the deck.

"Okay, I think you're looking for a longboat to follow the crew inland with, forgetting that Hameed said that Doubar and Rongar followed Sinbad who followed Maeve, meaning they took all three longboats."

"So they just abandoned us here?"  Mustapha exclaimed, looking towards the island Hameed mentioned.  "We're out here in the middle of the sea and Sinbad, the captain, didn't even think to leave a note telling us what's going on?"

Firouz followed his gaze and wondered the same thing.  It definitely wasn't like the crew to leave without word to them, and if Doubar and Rongar followed Sinbad and Maeve, something big must have happened to them, something that Firouz was sure he wouldn't like.

~~~  
  
Maeve sat down on a log, exhausted after walking the entire night.  She had been so wrapped up in her thoughts, she hadn't realized how long it had been since she reached the island.  It had been pitch black when she arrived, now the forest was filled with a gentle light.  Sunlight spilled through the canopy of the tall trees above her and she watched a few squirrels and birds scurry along with their day.  Maeve slid off the log and onto the soft green grass below her, which was much more comfortable.  She spread her brown cloak out like a blanket and sat on top of it with The Book of Darkness and Light.  She opened the book to the last pages and ran her hand over the magical seal once more.

"What if I'm not strong enough to open it?"  she wondered aloud to no one in particular.

Maeve remembered the first time she had met Cairpra when she had wondered the same thing.  What if she wasn't strong enough to defeat Rumina?  Now it seemed that she was still in the same frame of thought, even over a year later.  Maeve let her thoughts wander to Dermott.  She had heard his frantic calls to her as she left the Nomad, and it broke her heart to ignore them.  She couldn't tell Dermott what she was doing, he would never let her go through with it, and she knew this was best for him.

Dermott had always been her top priority in life, no one mattered but him.  Or at least that was her intent.  Maeve had never meant to like the crew, especially not Sinbad.  She wanted to stay focused on her goal: to restore Dermott to his human self.  Maeve never wanted to allow herself to be happy while her brother was a hawk, but it had happened anyway.  She thought of Sinbad and all of the fun times she had with him and the crew.  They were her family and she loved them all.  Of course, that was a different kind of love then the one she had for...  Maeve shook her head, to erase those thoughts.  None of that mattered now.  She had to get back to her original plan, to free Dermott and destroy Rumina.  That was all that was important now.

"Who am I kidding?"  Maeve whispered as she stood up and shook some blades of grass off of her long cloak.  "I don't want to die.  But Dermott and Dim-Dim..."

The sorceress pulled her cloak over her shoulders and closed the book once more.  She had to stop being so selfish.  If Dim-Dim returned and Dermott got his body back, then she would know that what she had done was right.  Maeve started walking again, knowing that she had better stop being so introspective, or she'd lose her nerve.  As she headed deeper into the forest, she wondered if Sinbad and Dermott had followed her.  And if she knew Dermott, he probably did.  She could feel his presence even though he wasn't speaking to her and he wasn't near enough to see.  That made her feel a little better, knowing her brother was nearby, even though he wasn't going to be able to stop her from freeing him.  She knew that for a fact.

Sinbad stood still in the middle of a forest, stopping for a moment to catch his breath.  He bent down slightly and took in the fresh morning air.  He wiped the sweat off of his brow and looked over at Dermott, who had perched himself on a low branch on a tree.  Sinbad couldn't get over how familiar this island looked when he landed on it, but he just couldn't place what it reminded him of.

"Is this the forest?"  he asked the creature.

*Yes,* Dermott replied.  *I am sure I saw her go in here, although I don't think she saw me.*

Sinbad shook his head.  "I'm never going to get used to this you know.  I mean, we're talking, but we're not.  I can hear you, but your not speaking."

*It's called telepathic communication, Sinbad.*  Dermott said matter-of-factly.  *How else would you like me to talk to you?  I'm a bird!*

"Well why now?"  Sinbad asked.  "Why are we suddenly able to talk now, after all this time?"

Dermott walked to the edge of the branch.  *Your guess is as good as mine.*

Sinbad walked over to the hawk and ruffled his feathers a little.  "Who are you, Dermott?"

*What do you mean?*  Dermott asked.

"I mean...  I'm not sure, really, I just didn't know that birds could talk to humans."  Sinbad said as he stroked the hawks soft feathers.  "Are you just a regular hawk, or what?"

*All animals have something to say if you take the time to listen.*  Dermott stated.  *You might not hear them like Maeve can, but if you take the time to really listen, you might just learn that not all animals are, what was that phrase you used?  Oh, 'Dumb Beasts'.*

Sinbad felt his cheeks redden.  "Sorry about that."

*It's forgotten,* Dermott said.  *Maeve has the gift to hear animals' voices, like the way we're speaking right now.  She can hear our thoughts, the same way I can hear hers and yours.*

"Thoughts?"  Sinbad asked.  "You mean, you can hear what I'm thinking?"

Dermott chuckled.  *I don't though, unless it's necessary.  Besides, Maeve has gotten very good at blocking her thoughts from me lately, like she did today.*

Sinbad nodded.  "About what you said before, about how animals have something to say if people will listen?  I think I feel that way about the sea.  People might think this is crazy, but I sometimes feel like the sea is speaking to me.  I feel completely at peace sometimes, just looking at it and dreaming.  I feel like it has a million secrets to share, and I want to learn them all."

*That's not crazy, Sinbad.  What's crazy is the people who don't find something like that.  People who just go through life and don't really _live_ , you know what I mean?  None of us can choose what happens to us, so we might as well live each day to the fullest and know that at the end of the day we lived a good life.*

Sinbad smiled.  "You're pretty smart, Derm.  I don't know why we're able to communicate now, but I'm really glad."

*It probably has something to do with Maeve,* Dermott figured.  *I mean, she left without word, so it must be something with her magic or that book.*

"Maeve," Sinbad repeated.  "She's pretty special, isn't she?"

*Yes, she is.  You're lucky to know her, you know.  I mean, really know her.  She hasn't let many people close to her since...  Well, for a long time.*

Sinbad furrowed his brow.  "Do you think she'll ever tell me?  I mean, about what happened to her so long ago?  She must trust me by now, we've been friends for two years.  After all we've been through together, I sometimes feel that she still has a wall surrounding her, keeping me out."

*That's for Maeve to decide, Captain.  I know that she'll tell you when she thinks the time is right.  She doesn't tell the secrets of her soul to just anyone, I can vouch for that.*

"You know, I really love her."  Sinbad admitted.  He wasn't sure why he was telling this to Dermott, but he felt so comfortable talking to the hawk, he felt no reason to hide his feelings.  "I really do.  I've never been in _love_ love before her, and I sometimes think she feels the same, but then others, I think she doesn't even want me around."

Dermott smiled knowingly.  *You should tell her how _you_ feel.  That's the only way to know for sure how she feels.*

Sinbad was about to say something, but was interrupted as his rainbow bracelet began to glow again.  It was so bright, he had to shield his eyes from the colors.  "What is going on with this thing today?"  he asked the hawk.

Sinbad closed his eyes as a strange, yet comforting feeling came over him.  "Dim-Dim?"  he asked the wind.  He didn't know why, but he felt like his master was standing right next to him.  The feeling was so real he felt that if he opened his eyes he would see him standing there.

Dermott, on the other hand, felt an evil presence.  He shivered as he thought of Rumina, who was the one who had entrapped him in this animal's body those many years ago.  *Let's go, Sinbad.*

Sinbad opened his eyes and lost the moment.  "You're right, we're wasting time here.  Why don't you scout ahead and see if you can catch up to her."

Dermott flew off and Sinbad gathered his composure before heading into the woods after the hawk.  He jumped as he saw three skeleton warriors coming out of the forest ahead of him.  He groaned, he hated fighting these demons.  Sinbad unsheathed his saber and held it up, ready to kick some skeleton butt.  What was going on in this forest?  Sinbad now knew for sure that it was definitely what he had feared.  Rumina, Scratch, or Turok.  He prayed it wasn't all three as the skeletons reached him to battle.

~~~  
  
Maeve kicked the final skeleton down and sighed with relief.  She wasn't used to fighting monsters by herself, and was proud of her accomplishment.  Five skeletons wasn't _too_ difficult, she thought.  She picked up the book and continued on her way.  Almost as soon as she had begun walking again, three more skeletons arrived, though.  She sighed and tucked the large book under her arm, she wasn't going to put it down for anything; she remembered the crew's encounter with Sashard a few months back.  One of the skeletons charged at her and she raised her broadsword to successfully block the attack.  She swung at it and smiled as it sent the demon to the ground.  She kicked it and then swung around to face her next attacker.

"Who's next?"  she taunted.

One of the remaining skeletons approached her from the front and she didn't seen the other one sneak up behind her.  She looked back just in time to see the demon strike her in the shoulder with the hilt of its sword.  Maeve stumbled backwards, pain searing through her shoulder.  She didn't realize that she had dropped the book until she saw the other skeleton pick it up and retreat with it.

"No!" she cried as she started chasing after it.  She wasn't going to let her only chance to save Dermott get taken away by some stupid skeleton.

~~~  
  
_... I awoke on an island with this on my wrist and a field of fruit before me ..._

As Sinbad traveled through the forest after Maeve, it finally dawned on him: this island seemed familiar to him because it was where it all began.  Two years ago, he had washed up on the shore of this very island after his ship had sunk, and then his greatest adventures began.  Two years ago, he encountered the power of Turok and Rumina for the first time.

"Maybe that's why..." he thought out loud, wondering if the bracelet was acting up because of the connection.

*Maybe that's why what?* Dermott inquired as he swooped down from the sky and landed on a rock near Sinbad.

"Oh, I just figured out why this island felt so familiar, it's where I got this." he gestured towards his glowing wrist.  Somehow, he didn't think that that was all there was to it, though.  He felt as if the circle was coming to its end, as if it was ending just as it began.  It couldn't merely be a coincidence that this was that very island, but he remembered the wise words of his lost tutor: _Everything happens for a reason._

*Sinbad, don't think like that,* Dermott chided, *We will rise above the evil, as we have done before.*

Sinbad suddenly snapped back to reality after hearing Dermott's words in his mind, "Hey, I thought you said you wouldn't read my thoughts!" he said with a laugh.

*I couldn't help but overhear; you can't shield your thoughts as Maeve does,* Dermott apologized.

"Hey, if I can hear you in my head, why shouldn't you be able hear me in yours?" Sinbad joked, "Why don't we push on.  Maeve has to be around here somewhere, we didn't leave _that_ long after her."

Dermott squawked, expanded his wings, and took to the sky to continue his search for his sister.  Sinbad smiled as he watched the hawk circle overhead.  He wished that he had the same advantage.  Sinbad continued to walk deeper into the forest, his head in the clouds as he attempted to unravel the mystery surrounding the whole situation.  He wasn't watching where he was going and suddenly and ended up flat on his face after tripping over something.  He sat up slowly and glanced over his shoulder to see what he fell over.

"Oh no," he exclaimed in more of a worried tone than an angry one.

He spotted The Book of Darkness and Light lying on the ground behind him.  Sinbad felt his blood run cold.  Maeve would have protected this book with her life, something must have happened to her, something he knew was not good.

He picked up the book and ran his hand over the yin-yang on the front.  As he did so, his bracelet and the cover began to glow with more intensity than ever before, and the book flipped through its numerous pages to the seal in the back.  He read the words on the page and became even more uneasy when he got to the last line.

"...the price is your life," he read, his voice shaking.  He thoughts then shot back to Maeve and he then realized why she left. "She's going to sacrifice her life to destroy Rumina!"

His bracelet and the pages then started glowing once again and he slammed the book shut.  He didn't know what was going on with him and he didn't have the time to figure it out at the moment.  His new abilities paled in comparison to Maeve, and he had to find her and stop her at all costs.  He could never forgive himself if something happened to her, especially since he had the opportunity to stop it.

He yelled for Dermott and the hawk flew down on a gentle breeze to see what was going on.  Sinbad explained what Maeve was doing on the island and Dermott didn't want to believe that she would do something so foolish just to save him.  He didn't let Sinbad hear the last part though, it wasn't his place to tell Maeve's carefully guarded secrets.

*Should we go back now and get the rest of the crew?* Dermott wondered, sensing that they may need the help of their friends soon.

"No," Sinbad answered abruptly. "Going back would take too long, and both of us need to stay to look for Maeve.  I know that she's nearby now; she wouldn't let the book out of her sight for too long, and I don't think that Turok would leave the book on the ground if they got her."

*You're right, she would have tried to contact me if she was in that much trouble.* Dermott agreed.

The two continued their search with a newfound energy.  Neither wanted to give up on their search until they found Maeve or Turok, Rumina, and Scratch.  They couldn't bring themselves to stop in their quest when they knew that so much was at risk.

~~~  
  
"Perhaps we should wait here until Sinbad returns.  If he didn't need my help before, it must not be that large of a mission-" Firouz tried to find reason in the situation but was cut off by Mustapha.

"Oh, so they're okay because they didn't need your help?" Mustapha chuckled, "Maybe they just didn't want to have to save your sorry ass when you couldn't defend yourself!"

"WELL AT LEAST I DIDN'T DIE!" Firouz shouted, clearly hurt by Mustapha's words.  He knew that he wasn't the best fighter, he was a man of science.  He relied more on brains than brawn in most situations.

"Ooh, you're so original.  You really need to stop singing the same old song," Mustapha remarked, realizing that Firouz always said the same thing whenever he was insulted.

"Well...you're not even worth my breath.  We were all such a happy bunch before you came back and we could actually get through a day without someone getting drunk and then complaining about a hangover!" Firouz shouted once more, knowing that his words only held truth for him because the rest of the crew liked Mustapha.

"You know what?  I don't have to take this," Mustapha said. "I'm going to get to that shore no matter what it takes.  I don't need _science_ or magic or anything but muscles to get me there either."

"You'll never make it to the shore with those puny arms."

"Oh yeah?  Watch me girlie man!" Mustapha ran over to the side of the ship and jumped over the railing and into the cool waters below.  He swam with long, skillful strokes until he made it halfway to the island, then he turned around and hid the grin on his face.

"Ah!  Help, I can't go any further!" he called as he dunked his head under water and pretended to be in great pain.

"It's called a cramp, you get it from eating too much and then not waiting a sufficient amount of time before physical activity," Firouz shouted matter-of-factly.

Mustapha continued to "drown", but Firouz finally realized that it was a trick.  Mustapha started laughing at the scientist's gullibility, but then he was taken by surprise by a force pulling him under the water.  He called for help from the ship, but no one came to help him from the monster below.

No one even heard his cries on the ship though, because there were bigger problems coming from the sky, a swarm of harpies.  Firouz and the crew tried to fend them off and once the battle was under control so to say, Firouz went back to the side of the ship to see how Mustapha was fairing.  He saw the small man struggling against an invincible force and quickly realized that it wasn't a joke anymore.

Firouz jumped over the side of the ship to help his companion get free of the monster, a sea-serphant sent compliments of Turok.  Mustapha managed to unsheathe his sword from his sash and sliced it into the serpent's flesh to get it to turn away from him.  Luckily for Mustapha, his plan worked and the monster turned with a load wail.  Unfortunately for Firouz, the beast was headed straight for him.

The scientist saw the monster racing towards him and turned and swam as fast as he could, but the serpent was faster.  It's sharp teeth grabbed him by the leg and pulled him under the cerulean waves.  Mustapha watched in horror as his comrade disappeared completely beneath the water.  He swam over to the spot he saw Firouz get pulled under and dove under after taking a deep breath.

He opened his eyes and looked for his lost shipmate.  Mustapha saw the serpent pulling the man deep into the depths of the sea and knew his time was limited.  The blue waters were turning crimson from all the blood Firouz's leg was losing.  Mustapha raced to catch up to the demon and managed to sever the appendage of the beast that had taken hold of Firouz.  The serpent, now badly injured, retreated and Mustapha pulled Firouz to the surface.  He was unconscious and blood was oozing out of a huge gash on his forehead.  Mustapha managed to pull the scientist to the shore.

Mustapha gently pulled the man from the water and onto the sandy beach.  He could tell from his limited knowledge of medicine that it didn't look good.  Firouz's leg had huge incisions from the penetrating teeth of the beast and the gash on his forehead looked especially nasty.  He pulled off his shirt and ripped it into strips to bandage Firouz's major injuries and then sat down next to him.  He felt partly responsible and didn't know quite what to do for him, a doctor he was not, and he couldn't joke his way out of this situation.  Firouz had been hurt because of a joke gone wrong, and it was all his fault.  Mustapha buried his head in his hands and prayed to Allah to let Firouz be all right.

~~~  
  
Maeve retraced her steps through the lush forest and kept her eye out for the skeleton that had stolen The Book of Darkness and Light.  She knew she had seen it come this way, and prayed she would find it soon.

"There you are, Maeve!"

The sorceress looked up and saw Sinbad running towards her, a large book in his arms.  Maeve sighed with relief.  "You found it!"  she exclaimed and reached towards him to grasp the book.

He pulled it back.  "First of all," he began.  "I'm not giving you this book back if you intend to do what I think you're going to do.  And second of all, hello to you too."

Maeve sunk to the grass below, knowing it was going to be impossible to convince him of her reasons for doing this.  "I knew Dermott would tell you to follow me, but I at least needed a head start.  I knew that's what you would say, Sinbad.  I _have_ to do it.  It's my life's quest."

Sinbad knelt down beside her and put his hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him.  "Maeve, your life's quest is to die while doing a spell?"

She shook her head.  "No..."  she trailed off.

"Then what is it?  Maeve, tell me.  I'm your friend, and I can help you if you give me the chance.  Even Dermott agrees."

Maeve looked at him curiously.  "What do you mean?"

*I can communicate with Sinbad, Maeve.* Dermott said.

"I just heard that."  Sinbad said proudly.

"How?"  Maeve began, stroking Dermott's soft feathers as he landed beside her.

"You're guess is as good as ours."  Sinbad said.  "Now Maeve, please tell me about him.  I know that it has something to do with this whole plan of yours today.  Please."

Maeve looked into his sea blue eyes and saw his concern for her.  She looked over at Dermott and decided this was as good a time as any.  "Sinbad, Dermott..."

"Yes?"  Sinbad prompted, curious as to what the connection between Dermott and Maeve was.

She sighed and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she watched Dermott fly ahead, giving them some privacy.  "Sinbad, Dermott is my brother.  My younger brother.  When we were younger, Rumina came to our village.  She was rounding up all the young men in our village.  I tried to stop her, and she got angry and wanted to make me suffer.  She turned Dermott into a hawk and, needless to say, her plan worked.  I've been waiting for this day ever since then.  I _have_ to restore Dermott, I just have to.  He never asked for this, it's all because of me.  Please Sinbad, let me do this spell and bring my brother back.  Please, I've never wanted anything more than this.  All our attempts to destroy Rumina in the past have been in vain.  I know this will work, and I am willing to sacrifice anything, even my life, to bring my brother back to me."

Sinbad looked at his friend and the pain in her heart because of the burden she had been forced to carry all those years.  He pulled her close to him and ran his hand through her fiery hair.  "It's all right Maeve, I'll help you and Dermott.  Didn't I once swear to you that we'd defeat Rumina or die trying?"

She nodded and rested her head on his chest.  "Well, now's our chance."

Sinbad shook his head slowly and gently pulled her up to face him.  "Yes, it will be our chance.  But not because of some spell that this damn book has in it, but because we banded together and fought with every ounce of strength in our bodies.  We can defeat Rumina just like we've defeated all those other enemies, I know we can."

"Are you angry?"  she asked quietly.  "That I left without word and made you all worry?"

"Not nearly as angry as I would have been at myself if I didn't catch up to you in time."  he smiled his dimpled grin and stood up.

He reached down and she accepted his outstretched hand to help her up.  She pulled her cloak up onto her shoulders.  "I contacted Dim-Dim last night and he told me of the spell.  I knew if I didn't leave immediately that I would lose my nerve or you would have stopped me.  I only did it with Dermott's best interest at heart."

"I know," he said as he handed her the large book.  "But please Maeve, don't use this spell, we can defeat her without it just like we had planned on before."

She shook her head and looked him straight in the eye.  "Sinbad, it's not just Rumina.  Dim-Dim warned me of a great evil that is forming, worse than 'The Unholy Trinity' as he called it.  Can you imagine?  An evil greater than the combined forces of Rumina, Scratch, and Turok?  Sinbad, he told me this spell would work against them all and stop it.  I have to use it, for the good of the world.  Please don't stop me, this is the only way.  If I die, I will be happy knowing that I secured a future for you and Dermott."

Sinbad looked down at the ground, torn between a rock and a hard place.  "But Maeve," he said, his voice unsure.  "I don't want you to die.  I don't know if I can live without you."

"Why not?"  she asked quietly.

The young captain grasped Maeve by her shoulders.  Since this seemed to be day for changes and letting out carefully guarded secrets, and with the added confidence of Dermott's words earlier, he decided now was as good a time as any to let her know how he really felt.  "By the gods, Maeve, you have to know I love you by now.  You're my reason for living, I need you.  I can't imagine the rest of my life if you're not by my side."

Maeve felt tears well up behind her eyes, shocked at his sudden outpouring of feelings.  "Do you really mean it, Sinbad?"  she asked, her voice wavering.

He nodded and felt his passion for her rising.  "With all my heart." he whispered and watched the tears begin to roll down her cheeks.

She pulled herself against his chest and buried her face in his shoulder.  "I don't know what to say."

Sinbad tilted her chin up to see her eyes.  "How about what you feel.  What you _really_ feel."

Maeve wiped a few tears off of her cheeks.  "Sinbad, I never wanted any of this.  When I signed onto the crew, I didn't want to like any of you.  I just wanted to leave with Dim-Dim once the mission was over and the princess was saved.  But..." she paused.  "Like Dim-Dim said, 'everything happens for a reason'.  Instead of being indifferent to you all as I had planned, I found the best family I could have ever asked for.  Instead of searching for Rumina myself, I found the best friend I've ever had to help me.  Sinbad, I do love you.  Very much.  And I'm glad I finally found the courage to tell you.  I love you so much."

Sinbad smiled widely and leaned in to kiss her.  He had never felt happier or more complete.  Maeve loved him!  He wanted to shout it to the heavens to let the world know how happy he was.  Maeve wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her hands into his soft honey colored hair.  Sinbad deepened the kiss and all time seemed to stand still.  He didn't care why he was here, or why his bracelet had been glowing, or even about the accursed spell.  All that mattered was that the woman he loved felt the same way about him.

_Rumina looked into the mirror on the wall that held the image of Sinbad and Maeve kissing in the middle of a forest.  She felt an intense pain in her stomach and dropped to her knees.  What was happening to her, she wondered?_

"Maeve?"  Sinbad asked between kisses.  "Didn't I promise we'd get this feeling again?"

Maeve chuckled, "I love a sailor who can keep his word."

"Well," he said before leaning down to claim her lips once more.  "I'm your man, then."

Maeve let herself be lost in the moment in his embrace.  She realized that she had never been in love before now.  The only other time she had ever felt this way was the time Sinbad had kissed her in the village with the Vorgon.  It was a wonderful feeling, and she couldn't believe that she had finally let out her feelings to Sinbad.  Maeve suddenly pulled out of his grasp.

"This isn't the time for this."  she said as she tucked some unruly strands of hair behind her ear.

"When is?"  Sinbad asked, suddenly feeling as though he'd drifted back down to earth.

"Not now, we have to get to Rumina's fortress."  she explained as she gathered her cloak and book together.  "Where's the crew?"  she asked, suddenly realizing they had never come into the clearing.

"Back on the ship," Sinbad admitted sheepishly.  "Dermott told me they'd slow us down, and I'm suddenly really happy he decided that."  Sinbad said coyly as he leaned in to kiss her once more.

She allowed him to and then started walking deeper into the forest, Sinbad right behind her.  She could definitely get used to this, she decided, enjoying the feelings that Sinbad had awoken within her.  Maeve smiled as she saw her brother circling overhead.  She was thankful he had left them alone, but not only for the moment with Sinbad, but also because she felt completely free.  Holding in those two secrets took a lot of energy, she realized, now knowing how good she felt since she let them off her chest.

"You know," she said with a look at Sinbad.  "This doesn't change things.  I still plan to use the spell."

"You're right," he agreed.  "It doesn't.  Because I still plan to stop you."

She grinned and took his hand as they walked deeper into the unknown.  Something miraculous had changed between them this afternoon, and although they liked the change, neither of them could fully grasp the enormity of it at this moment.

~~~  
  
"Where could they be?" Doubar asked Rongar, who answered with a shrug.

They were circling the island, looking for Maeve and Sinbad's longboats along the shore, for they didn't see their two boats on the beach nearest the Nomad, where they actually were.  As Doubar frantically searched along the shoreline using Firouz's magniscope that he had taken without permission, Rongar let his eyes wander out to the horizon.  He felt bad about leaving Firouz and Mustapha on the ship together but was more worried about the safety of Maeve and Sinbad.  His thoughts were interrupted though when a ship came into view on the seascape.  It was headed for the small island, and Rongar tapped Doubar's shoulder and pointed to the ship.

"I didn't think that this island was a point of interest," Doubar commented, wondering why a ship would go to this uncharted island.

Rongar, channeling Mustapha, wanted to ask Doubar why _they_ were there then, but he was thankful that his inability to speak kept him from hurting the large man's feelings.

"Let's head for that ship and see if they saw anything that can help us find Sinbad and Maeve," Doubar suggested as he took hold of two oars.

Rongar obeyed Doubar's wishes and they rowed up to the large ship.  A few crew members topside saw their longboat coming and their captain went to the side of the ship to greet the two men.  Doubar and Rongar climbed the ropes onto the deck, having a feeling that no harm would come to them if it hadn't already.  Doubar asked to see the captain and was very surprised to see a familiar face emerge from the crowd.

"Tetsu!" Doubar exclaimed as he gave the small man a bear hug, "What are you doing here?"

"Our ship was caught by an ill wind and we have not been able to control the direction for days," Tetsu explained as he caught his breath from the large man's embrace.

"The same thing happened to our ship and then Maeve and Sinbad disappeared," Doubar related their experiences and then noticed his shirt. "Have you run out of clothes, Tetsu?"

Tetsu laughed and rolled up the sleeves on the large shirt he received from Doubar after their first meeting. Rongar, who had been listening intently, noticed something unusual about Tetsu's bracelet once the sleeves were out of the way.  He reached out and gestured to the brightly glowing piece of jewelry, and Tetsu put his arm out in front of him to examine it.

"I do not understand what is going on with this.  It began glowing with a very bright light this morning, once we first saw the island in the distance," Tetsu said, never removing his eyes from the bracelet.

"Maybe that's why Sinbad left !" Doubar exclaimed, certain that he figured out the entire situation. "Why don't you come with us to the island, Tetsu.  You can help us find my little brother and Maeve."

"I suppose I should go, I want to know if Sinbad has any information about what is going on with this thing," Tetsu agreed as he looked down at his glowing bracelet again.  He motioned to a man on the crew. "Kenji, I would like you to take control while I am gone.  Please remain here unless you receive a signal from me or I return."

The tall man bowed to Tetsu who returned the gesture.  He grabbed his sword and gathered some food and supplies to put in a bag in case they needed it.  Doubar, Rongar, and Tetsu then climbed down to the Nomad's longboat and began to row to the shore.

"This place seems familiar to me somehow..." Tetsu trailed off as he tried to place where he saw the island before.

"Maybe Sinbad knew it too and that's why he left!" Doubar suggested, searching for another reason to explain his brother's sudden disappearance.

Rongar shook his head at him, but knew that he was only doing it to hold onto the hope that Sinbad and Maeve were okay and had a reasonable excuse for leaving the ship in the manner that they did.  Rongar hoped Doubar was right.

~~~  
  
"They're getting closer, Father,"  Rumina noted as she peered into the tall dark mirror that held the images of Sinbad and Maeve heading through the forest.  "It won't be long now."

Turok walked over and peered into the mirror.  "We will deal with them later," he decided and then turned his glance to Rumina.  "How is it now?"

"If by 'it' you mean the child, then it seems to be fine now.  I'm telling you, I only felt the pains when those two," she pointed towards the mirror.  "Sinbad and the peasant wench were kissing."

Rumina thought back to when she had seen the two of them earlier.  She had felt pains in her stomach so intense that she couldn't even stand.  She had fallen to the ground and her father had found her on the cold stone floor clutching her stomach in a desperate attempt to rid herself of the painful distress.

The evil sorcerer ran his eyes over his lovely daughter.  "We can't take any chances of this plan going awry.  You understand how important this is, Daughter."

Rumina huffed and crossed her arms across her chest defensively.  "All I understand is that you and that piteous goat-man planted this thing inside of me without even consulting me.  It's my body, and you had no right to do it without my consent!"  she said, her anger growing.

"Your consent meant nothing to us," Turok said coldly as he made the image of Sinbad and Maeve disappear from the mirror with a wave of his hand.  "We were going to do this whether or not you complied."

Rumina stood up and started to walk away through the darkened, yet exquisitely decorated hall.  She couldn't understand why her father had stopped respecting her feelings.  Ever since Scratch had completely joined forces with her father awhile back he never even informed her of his plans anymore.  A few nights ago they had informed her that she had been part of a powerful spell they had created.  They had taken pure evil from Scratch and implanted it into her womb for a child to grow.  'The child of Rumina and Scratch, the ultimate evil' they had explained.  She just wanted to get away from her father right now, to give her time to think.

"Daughter," Turok called.  "Do you understand the enormity of your condition?  This is not just any child you will be giving birth to.  You will be mothering the child of darkness."

Rumina turned and fingered the beautiful sparkling green jewel around her neck.  "All I understand is that you betrayed my trust to get on the good side of that devil!" she spat.

Turok walked over to her and roughly grabbed her chin with his cold hand.  "You will come around in due time.  One way or another." he said, emphasizing last part by squeezing her chin with his long fingers.

Rumina turned her head so his sharp black fingernails weren't digging into her flesh.  "Leave me alone."

Turok grabbed her arm.  "Do not dare speak to me in that manner," he commanded and looked down at the jewel she was playing with around her neck.  "Where did you get that?"  he asked, recognizing it as the Griffin 's Egg.

"I'm not wearing the orb that devil gave me," she said shortly.  "This was what was left of the Griffin 's Egg.  I found it in the remains of Skull Mountain .  It doesn't have any power anymore."  she lied, knowing full well what she had hidden in there.

The sorcerer shook his head.  "You should wear the one Scratch gave you.  It's power will help keep your energy up." he looked at the pain glistening in his daughter's eyes.  "What is it, Rumina?"

She looked up at the man she most respected and admired, as well as loved and wondered how he could have deceived her.  "I just don't know when you changed me from your partner to your slave!" the tiny woman turned on her heel and ran out of the hall, leaving her father alone.

"It must be that 'special time' of the month."  Scratch jested as he emerged from the shadows, his arms crossed across his chest.

"Quiet, you," Turok ordered.  "She is still adjusting to this change.  It's not everyday your daughter is carrying the ultimate weapon of destruction inside her womb."

The devil sauntered over to where the evil sorcerer stood.  "I have lots of plans for this," he admitted.  "And I will not allow that sea dog and his pathetic girlfriend to get in our way."

"I have no intention of allowing that to happen," Turok said.  "Do not fear, Scratch, we will take care of them.  But first," he paused, looking at the image of Doubar and Rongar in their longboat.  "Let us take care of these ones."

Scratch laughed wickedly.  "Allow me," he said as he conjured up a demon that would make even Turok fearful.

Sinbad and Maeve continued through the forest, heading towards the far end of the island.  They had both decided that was the most likely place that The Unholy Trinity's hideout would be.  It was a small island, and they were sure they had covered most of it on their way through the woods.  Sinbad looked ahead at Maeve, who appeared to be lost in thought, the midday sun reflecting off of her fiery hair.  He still couldn't believe that she had finally told him the secret about the hawk she carried on her gloved hand.  Dermott was her brother!  Sinbad couldn't say he was surprised, for all the possible scenarios his mind had created when he tried to guess the secret all held generally the same significance.

"Sinbad?" Maeve asked, looking back at the young captain.  "Let's take a short break."

He nodded his agreement and they both sat down on the soft green grass, Dermott flying up to the trees to find a nice perch.  Sinbad looked down at his rainbow bracelet.  It was still glowing, but not nearly as brightly as it had been before.  Maeve followed his gaze and reached out to touch the illuminated piece of jewelry.

"It must contain some kind of powers," she deduced.  "Maybe it's glowing in response to the evil energy that this island holds."

Sinbad nodded thoughtfully and looked down at The Book of Darkness and Light on the sorceress's lap.  "May I?"  She nodded and handed him the book.  "You know, the bracelet isn't even the strangest thing," he began.  "Earlier today, I touched the yin-yang on the cover and it started glowing too.  Then it opened up by itself and went to the back, where I read about your plan."

Maeve furrowed her brow.  "Really?  It's never done that before.  Show me. " she said curiously.

Sinbad ran his hand over the large yin-yang on the cover of the leather book.  Just as it had earlier, the symbol lit up brightly along with his bracelet.  The large book flipped through its ancient pages, as though a strong breeze had suddenly come through and blew it open.  Sure enough, the book went straight to the seal that Yin had formed.  "See?"  Sinbad asked.  "Why does it _do_ that?"

Maeve looked at Sinbad and shook her head.  "What is going on here?" she wondered.  "So not only have you gained the ability to speak to Dermott, but your bracelet has been glowing and you can also force this book to open on its own?  It must be something on this island."

"Oh yeah!" Sinbad realized.  "I remembered before that this is the island I got this bracelet at two years ago.  My ship, it went under and I landed on this island with the bracelet on my wrist and a field of fruit before me.  I haven't seen the field, but I know this is the same island.  I know it."

"Sinbad, do you know what this means?" she asked.  "I wasn't even sure if I'd be able to open the seal on my own, but this book practically did that when you merely touched it.  Maybe you'll be able to break it!"

Sinbad shook his head.  "I'm no magician, Maeve.  I'm just a sailor."

Maeve rolled her eyes.  "Sinbad, do you remember Serindib?  You used her runestones successfully, and only someone with the gift is able to use stones such as those.  You must have some powers within you that this island is awakening."

Sinbad stood up and wiped some dirt off of his pants.  "I don't know about all that.  I just want to get to Rumina's hideout, get rid of her, and get off this island, no muss, no fuss."

"Where's you sense of adventure?"  Maeve asked him.  "Isn't this exciting?  You might have powers, Sinbad!  There's no denying the things that have been going on with you are of a magical nature.  We just have to find out exactly what is the cause and why they are just popping up now."

Sinbad looked at the excitement in Maeve's eyes.  She seemed to be happy that he might have powers, but all Sinbad could think of was that it was kind of scary.  All his life he always knew exactly what he was capable of, and he wasn't ready to journey off into the unknown and dabble in the white arts.  All he really wanted to do right now was go back to the ship and forget the whole thing, but he knew how important it was to Maeve to restore Dermott.  And now that he really knew Dermott, it was important to him too.

Bringing his thoughts back to the hawk, Sinbad asked, "Maeve, you can't, you know, read my thoughts can you?  Like Dermott can?"

Maeve grinned.  "No, not like Dermott can.  I can read the thoughts of some animals, and Dermott can read them from most humans.  Besides, Sinbad, I don't want to know what kind of thoughts run through your mind," she kidded.

"If you could read them, all you'd find out is that I think about you all the time," he teased.

Maeve rolled her eyes and leaned close to him.  He turned his face down and claimed her lips in a soft kiss.  She returned it fully and with even more passion.  Sinbad thought the moment to be bittersweet.  On one hand, he was with the woman of his dreams, experiencing feelings that only she could incite in him.  But on the other, she was dead set on completing a suicide mission to save her brother and inevitably the world.  Although he knew he would try his hardest to fight 'The Unholy Trinity', as she called them, there were still no guarantees.  Either Maeve or himself or both of them could very well be killed in the fight, with or without the spell.

"Ahhhhhhhh!"

Sinbad and Maeve pulled apart as they heard a bloodcurdling scream coming from the sea.  They quickly ran towards the horrible sound and found themselves on another beach.  They saw a longboat in the middle of the waters being attacked by a giant monstrosity, and in the boat were Doubar, Rongar, and Tetsu.

Sinbad and Maeve were surprised to see that it was Tetsu in the boat instead of Firouz or Mustapha, but they didn't have time to ask questions.  The monster from the sea crashed down with great force into the water surrounding the boat and caused it to rise up when it swam underneath.  It shot up from the other side of the boat and let out an awful sound, the "scream" that Sinbad and Maeve had heard before.  It opened up its terrifying jaws to display an impressive set of razor sharp teeth.

Sinbad and Maeve had no idea what to do, they were in a complete state of shock at the size of the sea monster; they didn't have the slightest idea of how to rescue their cornered companions.  However, once the monster began to go in for the kill and smashed the tiny longboat to smithereens, something strange came over Sinbad.

He first thought that it was just a major rush of adrenaline coming to him, but then he sensed that it was different.  His bracelet began to glow violently once again and he felt an unimaginable sense of power.  As the beast got closer and closer to devouring his friends, Sinbad felt more strength stream through his body, and without any notice, an emerald stream of light shot from Sinbad's arm straight to the monster's head.  The beast collapsed to the water and the three men in the remains of the boat began to row quickly to the shore while being sprayed by a stream of water.

Sinbad stared at his wrist and Maeve looked at him with amazement.  "What was that?" she asked him, awestruck.

"I have no earthly idea, Maeve," Sinbad said, his voice wavering.

He looked at Maeve with the hope that she could find an explanation as to what was going on with him.  She didn't have time to answer though, because Doubar, Rongar, and Tetsu had finally made their way to the shore.

"That sure was a close one wasn't it, Rongar?" Doubar said as he got out of the boat.  "If it weren't for Maeve over here, we'd of been goners for sure!"

"But I didn-"

"Yes," Sinbad agreed. "She can really do wonders when it's down to the wire like that!"

"But Sinbad," Maeve started, but then caught Sinbad's pleading glance.

His eyes begged her to keep it a secret, and she knew that when he was ready to tell everyone else, he would.  Maeve had no idea what was going on either, but as a sorceress, she was very curious about the origin of Sinbad's tremendous powers.  She always knew that he had the power in him, but had no idea of the enormity of his potential until that moment.  She could relate to him with his fear of pursuing the source of his power, and prayed that once Dim-Dim was restored to them, it would all be explained.

~~~  
  
"Unbelievable!"  Turok shouted, his deep voice ringing throughout the dark hall.  "Scratch, you worthless devil, I knew Rumina and I would have been better off without you!"

Scratch crossed his arms across his chest defensively.  "I haven't even warmed up yet, old man.  You just WAIT until I get started."

Turok sighed loudly and rubbed his temples slowly to try and rid himself of a painful headache.  "I do not appreciate you wasting your energy on mere child's play.  I want that sailor and his worthless crew dead now!"

Rumina smiled to herself, knowing her father was angry at Scratch.  "You know," she added.  "It wasn't that peasant wench that did that magic to destroy the monster.  It was Sinbad.  I always knew that our children would be all-powerful."

Turok glared at her.  "You are not having Sinbad's children, Daughter.  Do not even ponder the idea.  You are bearing Scratch's child, the child of darkness." the sorcerer paused.  "But you are right.  It wasn't that girl that destroyed the creature.  It was Sinbad," he peered through the glass mirror at the reunion between Sinbad, Maeve, and their friends.  "He _is_ more than we bargained for."

The tiny sorceress stood up and walked over to where her father stood, gazing into the antique mirror.  She wanted to make it all right with her father, she hated when he was angry with her.  She grasped his arm and rested her head on it, reminded of when she used to sit upon his lap as a child.  He used to read her magical tales from his books, and she would fall asleep on his lap, dreaming of one day becoming a powerful sorceress that would make him proud.  "You know," she began.  "If it hadn't been for that power that Sinbad created, I'm sure that the monster would have succeeded.  Look at what happened to that busybody inventor before when he tried to mess with your serpent."

The edges of Turok's lips turned up to form a slight smile.  "Let us see how the pitiful scientist and his irritating companion are doing now," he decided.  With a wave of his hand the image on the mirror shifted to that of an unconscious Firouz and an grievous Mustapha kneeling beside him.

"Please wake up, Firouz," Mustapha beseeched, clutching the inventor's hand as though it would prevent him from slipping away from this world.  "Please, open your eyes!"

Mustapha saw no movement from Firouz, other than the shallow rising and falling of his chest.  The short man looked out towards the sea, watching the noon day sun shine mockingly overhead.  He let his mind drift to some of the useless fights that he had participated in with the inventor.  He remembered the time that they had journeyed to see the prophet that held valuable information on The Island of Utopia...

_While Doubar continued to look at the tapestry, Firouz discovered a large circular mirror in the middle of the room.  It appeared to be suspended from the ceiling, but Firouz couldn't detect anything holding it up._

_"Impossible…" he mumbled to himself._

_Mustapha crossed his arms.  "So is coming back from the dead, but here I am."_

_"A shame, isn't it?"  Firouz said with a bitter tone._

He then let his mind wander to the morning they ended up in Gaul , the hometown of himself and Rongar...

_"What do you think you're doing?"  Firouz demanded._

_"What?"  Mustapha asked innocently as he filled his mouth with the sweet pastry._

_"You have a whole plateful of muffins!  That was the last one, and I'm still hungry!"  Firouz explained, trying to stay calm._

_"Well what do I look like, a mind reader?"  Mustapha countered._

He finally let himself remember a particularly stinging remark from Firouz...

_"Doubar," Mustapha addressed, "You are usually the one barging into these types of situations.  Don't tell me that the egg head here is rubbing off his cautious attitude on you!"_

_Firouz faced him.  "What's wrong with being cautious?  I happen to remember how you ended up after a certain reckless stunt: dead!"_

Mustapha shook his head to clear out the last memory.  He should have heeded Firouz's good advice and been more cautious.  He regretted diving into the sea, for if he had stayed on the ship, the serpent would have never attacked Firouz.  Mustapha looked down at his pale companion.  Blood had soaked through the bandage on the inventor's forehead, and Mustapha knew that if he didn't get help soon, he could lose his leg.  Mustapha found it ironic that the physician on the ship was the one who was injured and not himself.

'I don't know what to do,' Mustapha realized.

He had always relied on Firouz for medical information, whether he wanted it or not.  Mustapha realized that the only way to help his friend was to venture inland and find Maeve.  She must know a spell that can heal Firouz's injuries.  The short man knew he couldn't leave Firouz here, just in case the serpent came back for revenge.  He hurried over to the edge of the forest and gathered some large palm leaves.  He tied them together with some vines and dragged his makeshift stretcher over to his comrade.  He gently lifted Firouz's body onto the leaves and prepared to head inland.

"By Allah, let me find Maeve in time." he whispered to the heavens.

~~~  
  
"Doubar," Sinbad called to his brother across the campsite.  Everyone was turning in for the night and Sinbad had to talk to Doubar about something that had been on his mind since he saw him in the longboat earlier.

Doubar walked over to his brother and sat down on a log next to him.  "What is it little brother?"

Sinbad sighed and sat silently for a minute, not knowing how to phrase what he wanted to say.  "I wish that you hadn't left Mustapha and Firouz alone on the ship with the crew," he finally said.

"I only left them because I thought you might be in trouble," Doubar argued defensively.

"You know I would have woken you all if I thought it would be dangerous or very important," Sinbad tried to act a little calmer. "I'd like you and Rongar to go back to the Nomad first thing in the morning to get Mustapha and Firouz, just in case we need them."

"All right, Sinbad," Doubar agreed. "I shouldn't have left them in the first place." Doubar felt bad for his mistake, but knew that Sinbad wouldn't stay angry at him for long, so he went to sleep without saying another word.

Rongar was also feeling kind of guilty for leaving his two friends stranded on the Nomad.  He wanted to go and make sure that they were all right since a monster could have been sent their way that afternoon as well.  He also knew that it wasn't good for either of the men to be together without someone to break up their squabbles.

Sinbad went into the woods a little to gather some more firewood and was glad when Dermott flew back, he wanted someone to keep him company.  Dermott didn't want to chitchat though.  Once he landed on a branch, Sinbad saw a vision of Mustapha, shirtless, dragging a wounded Firouz through the forest.  He remembered the last time that Dermott sent him a vision, Rongar was being held captive by Scratch, and Firouz and Doubar were taken by the villagers.  He knew that Dermott was sure about what he saw and rushed back to the campsite as quickly as he could.  Tetsu was keeping watch, so Sinbad asked him to come with him and Dermott, trying to explain the situation the best he could. As they followed Dermott flying overhead, Sinbad began to think about all of the strange things that happened to him recently.  He was very thankful that he could communicate with Dermott, but the incident with the sea-serphant was too bizarre for him to even want to think about.  He didn't want to have powers, especially one's as out of control as his, and he wondered if Tetsu had had any similar problems.

"Tetsu," Sinbad asked cautiously. "Have you been having any... strange occurrences with your bracelet recently?"

"Now that you mention it, my bracelet started radiating great colors and light as soon as the island came into view from my ship," Tetsu stated. "It also did the same when Doubar and Rongar came aboard."

Sinbad let out a sigh of relief when he heard that.  He was very happy that he wasn't the only one experiencing the strange incidents since he arrived at the island.  He decided to let the topic go; he didn't feel any need in making Tetsu overanalyze the bracelets too.

"So what have you been up to since we last met up?" Sinbad tried a lighter conversation.

"I have been sailing the seas on my ship, having adventures just like I dreamed of," Tetsu said, obviously very thankful to Sinbad and his crew for saving him from his old life.

The conversation couldn't go on any longer though, because Dermott spotted Mustapha and Firouz moving through the forest.  Sinbad and Tetsu ran to the spot and Dermott flew in to see if he could do anything to help.  Mustapha was sitting on the ground, obviously upset and exhausted.  He couldn't find any more strength in his body to pull Firouz any further and blamed himself for everything that happened that day.

Sinbad came to the small clearing and saw the makeshift stretcher on the ground. "Get Firouz!" he yelled, a force of habit, and then realized that Firouz was the one in need of help.

"God am I glad to see you, Sinbad," Mustapha jumped up, "He isn't doing good."

"What happened?" Sinbad asked as he looked Firouz over.

"Harpies and a sea serpent attacked the ship and he got hurt by the serpent.  I got him to the shore and was trying to find you guys," Mustapha explained the situation the best he could, leaving out the part about him diving off the ship in the first place.

"Let's get him back to the campsite," Sinbad said and the three men carried the stretcher back the way that Sinbad and Tetsu had come from.

~~~  
  
Rongar looked out into the dark forest from his seat on the hard ground.  He had woken up a bit earlier and discovered Sinbad, Tetsu, and Dermott missing, so had taken it upon himself to take watch.  He sighed to himself, wondering why this seemed to be the day of leaving without word.  It was so unlike Sinbad to just get up and leave without telling anyone, but he shook his thoughts out of his head just as quickly as they arrived.  He had to trust in Sinbad's judgment, he had never steered them wrong in the past.  Rongar added a few bare sticks to the dying fire, in an attempt to rekindle the subdued flames.  The moor turned his attention to Maeve, who seemed to be having a nightmare of some sort.  She kept whispering inaudibly as she tossed and turned.  He thought about waking her up, but knowing this was probably the first she'd slept in two days, he decided against it.

_"Maeve, you are not the one that can break the seal," the voice of Cairpra echoed in Maeve's ears.  "It is Sinbad.  Only he can use the spell successfully.  Maeve, you must have Sinbad use the spell if you have any hopes of defeating The Unholy Trinity.  Remember that, or your quest will fail."_

Maeve slowly opened her eyes and wondered if she had dreamed that Cairpra was speaking to her or if she had just had a vision of some sort.  She rolled onto her back and stared up through the canopy of trees to the star filled sky.  She remembered when she was younger, how she and her brother had spent many a night perusing the wondrous heavens.  Once, they had tried to count the number of stars but had only succeeded in falling fast asleep before they had completed their task to the satisfaction of their young minds.  Maeve suddenly brought her thoughts back to the message Cairpra had sent her, now sure that it had indeed been for real.  _It is Sinbad.  Only he can use the spell successfully._   Cairpra's ominous message rolled through her thoughts and filled her with a sense of dread.  She hadn't minded when it was her life that would be sacrificed, not as much anyway, as now that it was Sinbad.

Maeve sat up and tucked some unruly strands of her fiery hair behind her ears.  She saw Rongar nod his greeting to her and offered a quick smile in acknowledgment.  Maeve pulled her cloak around her tightly, in an effort to rid herself of the numb feeling that had come over her.  This was supposed to be _her_ mission, and the price to pay for Dermott's freedom wasn't too much to ask of herself.  But Sinbad, she couldn't ask him to sacrifice himself to save her brother.  Maeve thought back to what Dim-Dim had said the night before.  He said that the ultimate evil would take over the world if the spell wasn't successful.  If she told Sinbad about that, there would be no question that he would go through with it.  She didn't want him to die, for Dermott or anyone.  Sinbad was needed and admired by everyone they had ever met.  He had touched so many lives, and even though it was still difficult to admit to herself, she did love him.  What she experienced in the woods was nothing like she'd ever felt before.  Sure she had been kissed before, she had even been engaged once, but nothing ever came close to the feeling of Sinbad's lips against her own.  Maeve looked into the flames of the fire and wondered if she should even tell Sinbad of Cairpra's message.  After all, the spell still had to be successful if she tried it, the warning in the book said it would be.

Rongar looked into Maeve's worried face.  She was struggling with something, and she was so deep in thought he didn't want to interrupt her to offer her some food that Tetsu had brought from his ship.  The moor heard rustling in the bushes and slowly stood up to see who, or what, the sound was being caused by.  He felt his blood run cold when he saw that it was Sinbad and Tetsu dragging an injured Firouz to the campsite.  He hurried over to his friends and helped them situate him close to the fire.  Rongar looked up at Mustapha expectantly, but the small man remained silent.

"Firouz was injured by a serpent that attacked the Nomad." Sinbad explained after no response came from Mustapha.

Rongar watched his good friend quietly sit down on the other side of the fire.  Mustapha clutched his knees to his bare chest and rested his forehead on them.  Sinbad gestured to Mustapha as he looked at Rongar.  The moor nodded and sat down beside his companion.  He placed his hand on Mustapha's shoulder gently, and was startled as he saw tears running down his tired face.

"I... I couldn't... couldn't save him," Mustapha whispered, his voice cracking with emotion.  "It's... it's all... my fault."

Rongar shook his head fiercely and looked over at Firouz.  Maeve had gone over to him and placed her cloak over him to keep him warm.  Rongar feared for the inventor's life.  He saw a blood soaked bandage, which was probably Mustapha's sash, on Firouz's forehead, and had caught a glimpse of his leg, which had been covered with a similar gory bandage.

Sinbad placed his hand on Maeve's shoulder and knelt down beside her.  She was grasping Firouz's hand and gazing into his pale face, obviously upset over her friend.  She looked at Sinbad.  "Can you help him, Maeve?  You know, with your magic?"  he asked quietly, so Mustapha didn't hear.

She looked at her wounded companion and then back at Sinbad.  "I don't think so.  I've never done a healing spell...  I don't know if..." she drifted off, wishing she had mastered that area of white magic rather than offensive magic.  "Sinbad," she said, looking directly into his sea blue eyes.  "I have to talk to you.  In private."

Sinbad looked at her curiously and then motioned for Tetsu to come over.  "Can you take care of things here?" he asked his good friend.  Tetsu nodded and began to dig through his bag of supplies for something to make fresh bandages for the inventor's wounds.

Sinbad stood up and led the way to a more secluded area of the forest.  It was near the sea where they had found Doubar, Rongar, and Tetsu earlier.  He looked out to the tranquil waters, with the moonlight and starlight shining off of it's reflective surface.  Maeve joined him and followed his gaze.  "Sinbad, Cairpra contacted me tonight."

"She did?" he asked, trying to meet Maeve's gaze.  "What did she say?"

Maeve turned to face him.  She studied his handsome, tanned features carefully.  "I wasn't sure if I should tell you this, but I think I have to," she began slowly.  "She told me I wasn't the one to do the spell.  She said you were."  Maeve watched him slowly, trying to judge his reaction.

Sinbad turned to look out towards the sea again.  He walked slowly back towards the trees, trying to take in the enormity of Cairpra's message.  He finally turned back and walked back to her.  "This is good news, Maeve.  It means that you don't have to die."

Maeve shivered.  "But it means... it means... you do."

Sinbad stood behind her and rubbed her arms slowly to warm her.  They both looked out to the sea and watched it's waves slowly ripple as the breeze blew them.  "If I have to die for the good of the world, I will.  I will do anything to save it.  And Dermott.  You know I want him to be restored to you."

Maeve turned her head to face him.  "Sinbad, I won't let you die.  I won't, I'll do the spell myself.  I'll-"

Sinbad slowly put his finger up to her lips.  "No, Maeve. _I_ will do it.  You will live.  For us."

The sorceress allowed a few tears to slid down her face.  She turned completely to face him and he held her against his chest and stroked her hair.  "Maeve, why the tears?  You wouldn't let me get like this before when you said it was you that would do the spell."

She shook her head.  "Sinbad, the world _needs_ you.  And I need you too."

Sinbad laughed dryly.  "Isn't this ironic, Maeve?  The day we both admit our feelings to each other and one of us has to die."  he tilted her chin up so he could look in her eyes.  "Maeve, if Cairpra needs me to do this spell, I will.  What good will I be to the world if I give up the chance to stop the ultimate evil, or 'The Unholy Trinity'?  If it's meant for me to die, then I will do it."

He turned his face down to kiss her.  She felt his soft lips against hers and ran her fingers through his silky hair.  They relished in each others embrace for a moment longer before they broke apart. As they peered into each others eyes, they both began to cry.  Slow, gentle tears at first, but they quickly evolved into more.  They mourned for the loss of their future together, the impending death of Firouz, the disappearance of Dim-Dim, the reappearance of The Unholy Trinity, the current state of Dermott, everything that they had come to terms with that day.  They held on to each other and wept in each others embrace as the silver moon rose further into the darkened sky.

* * *

_Fin_


End file.
